Refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit

ABSTRACT

The invention is a refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit, and includes a refrigerator body  11  having upper openings  23  on the top or lower openings  30 ; a heat exchange unit  13  provided on the upper surface or the lower surface of the refrigerator body  11 ; a base plate  18  on which the heat exchange unit  13  is mounted, is detachably attached on the refrigerator body  11 ; and an evaporator box  21  mounted on the base plate  18 , enclosing the evaporator  7  and having box openings  24  on the floor corresponding to the upper openings  23  or the lower openings  30  of the refrigerator body  11.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit, and more particularly to a refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit in which the overall heat exchange unit can be detached from the refrigerator body when the refrigerant is changed, so that a safety risk during the change of refrigerant can be prevented.

BACKGROUND ART

A refrigerator is a device in which the temperature in the cooling storage of the cabinet is lowered by the refrigerating cycle, so that the food can be kept fresh or frozen. The refrigerator is provided with a heat exchange unit including a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator and refrigerant lines connecting them with one another. The storage of the refrigerator is kept in low temperature by heat exchange of the heat exchange unit.

Generally, the refrigerator has a structure in which the evaporator is positioned inside the cooling storage of the refrigerator body to supply cooling air into the cooling storage of the refrigerator, but the compressor and the condenser are positioned above or below the refrigerator body.

Meanwhile, the conventional refrigerants are R-22 or R134a, which are chemically stable as being free of toxic materials, little explosive, and high performance of heat exchanging. But these refrigerants may destroy the ozone layer of the earth and emit the greenhouse gases, so that they are classified as targets of regulation. Recently, new eco-friendly refrigerant such as R290 is being used, which can reduce the destruction of ozone layer and emission of the greenhouse gases. But this refrigerant is to be handled carefully because of easy flammability and explosiveness.

Therefore, during charging or changing the eco-friendly refrigerant such as R290, it is possible that the refrigerant can be leaked and exploded by spark. But the conventional refrigerator has a structure that the evaporator is installed inside the cooling storage of the refrigerator body, so it is impossible or difficult to remove the overall heat exchange unit to a safe zone and charge or change the refrigerant. Considering the situation, there is a need to improve the structure of the refrigerator for the purpose of safe and easy change of the refrigerant.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

The invention is proposed to solve the above problems, and the object of the invention is to provide to a refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit in which the overall heat exchange unit can be easily detached from the refrigerator body when the refrigerant is to be changed, and the cooling air generated by the evaporator can be smoothly supplied into the cooling storage of the refrigerator body when the heat exchange unit is attached, so that the safety risk during the change of refrigerant can be effectively prevented and the cooling performance is highly maintained.

Technical Solution

According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit, wherein the refrigerator comprises;

a refrigerator body 11 having a cooling storage 25 in which the food is cooled or frozen, and upper openings 23 or lower openings 30 on the top or bottom of it communicating with the cooling storage 25;

a heat exchange unit 13 provided above or under on the upper or lower surface of the refrigerator body 11 and including a compressor 15, a condenser 16, an expansion valve, an evaporator 17 and refrigerant lines 14 connecting them to each other to circulate the refrigerant;

a base plate 18 on which the heat exchange unit 13 is mounted, is detachably attached on the refrigerator body 11; and

an evaporator box 21 mounted on the base plate 18 to enclose the evaporator 7 and having box openings 24 on the floor corresponding to the upper openings 23 or the lower openings 30 of the refrigerator body 11.

According to the other aspect of the invention, there is provided a refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit, wherein the refrigerator further includes an air supply duct 26 disposed horizontally along the upper corner of the cooling storage 25 and communicating with the upper openings 23 of the refrigerator body 11, and the air supply duct 26 is provided with an inducing panel 27 having plural holes 29 corresponding to the upper opening 23 and exhaust gaps 28 on both sides of the inducing panel 27 between the inner wall of the cooling storage 25 and the air supply duct 26.

According to the other aspect of the invention, there is provided a refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit, wherein the refrigerator further includes an inducing duct 31 communicating with the lower openings 30 of the refrigerator body 11 and extending upward on the inner wall of the refrigerator body 11, and the inducing duct 31 having plural side holes 32 along the side of it to exhaust a partial of the cooling air, and upper exhaust holes 33 on the upper part of the inducing duct 31 to exhaust the remaining cooling air.

According to the other aspect of the invention, there is provided a refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit, wherein the refrigerator further includes a lifting means 40 on the refrigerator body 11 or the base plate 18 to lift the evaporator box 21 to tightly contact the lower surface of the refrigerator body 11

Advantageous Effect

According to the invention, as the overall heat exchange unit 13 is mounted on the base plate 18 and is detachably attached on the refrigerator body 11, when refrigerant is needed to be changed, the overall heat exchange unit 13 can be easily removed from the refrigerator body 11, and changing of refrigerant can be easily and safely implemented even though the refrigerant is eco-friendly material with high flammability and explosiveness.

And, as the evaporator 17 is enclosed in the evaporator box 21, and the cooling air is supplied through the upper or lower openings 23, 30 formed on the refrigerator body 11, and the air supply duct 26 having a featured inducing panel 27 and exhaust gaps 28, or the inducing duct 31 having side holes 32 and upper exhaust holes 33, cooling air can be smoothly and uniformly exhausted along the horizontal direction of the cooling storage 25 of the refrigerator, so that cooling on the food can be uniformly and effectively carried out, and operational reliability of the refrigerator can be highly maintained.

In addition, in case the heat exchange unit 13 is disposed under the refrigerator body 11, as there is provided with a lifting means 40 to lift the evaporator box 21 to contact tightly against the lower surface of the refrigerator body 11, leakage of cooling air can be minimized to achieve high performance heat exchange and energy efficiency.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective of one embodiment of the invention

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the above embodiment of the invention

FIG. 3 is a front section of the above embodiment of the invention

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the above embodiment of the invention

FIG. 5 is a side section of the above embodiment of the invention

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the other embodiment of the invention

FIG. 7 is a front section of the above embodiment of the invention

FIG. 8 is a side section of the above embodiment of the invention

FIG. 9 is a partial view of the above embodiment of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the preferred embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 show a preferred embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, there is provided a refrigerator body 11 having a door 12 on the front of it, and a heat exchange unit 13 is provided above the refrigerator body 11. The heat exchange unit 13 comprises of a compressor 15, a condenser 16, an expansion valve, an evaporator 17 and an refrigerant lines 14 connecting them to circulate the refrigerant so that heat exchange is carried out, and all the components of the heat exchange unit 13 are installed on a base plate 18, and the base plate 18 is detachably mounted on the refrigerator body 11.

The evaporator 17 includes a heat exchanger 19 in which evaporating coils are arranged, and a fan 20 on one side of the heat exchanger 19, and the heat exchanger 19 and the fan 20 are enclosed within an evaporator box 21 formed on one side of the base plate 18. The evaporator box 21 is covered by an insulation cover 22 airtightly, and the side wall of it is also insulated.

Upper openings 23 are formed on the upper surface of the refrigerator body 11, and box openings 24 are formed on the floor of the evaporator box 21 corresponding to the upper openings 23 of the refrigerator body 11, so that the cooling air could be supplied into the refrigerator body 11.

The upper openings 23 of the refrigerator body 11 comprises of an air supply upper opening 23 a to supply cooling air into the cooling storage 25 of the refrigerator body 11 and an air intake upper opening 23 b to intake the air from the cooling storage 25 of the refrigerator body 11 into the evaporator box 21, and the box openings 24 also comprises of an air supply box opening 24 a and an air intake box opening 24 b respectively corresponding to the air supply upper opening 23 a and the air intake upper opening 23 b.

As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, a cooling storage 25 is formed in the refrigerator body 11 which can be cooled by the cooling air produced by the evaporator 17 of the heat exchange unit 13, and the cooling storage 25 is provided with an air supply duct 26 which introduces the cooling air through the upper openings 23 communicating with the box openings 24 of the evaporator box 21. The air supply duct 26 is disposed horizontally along the upper corner of the cooling storage 25, and it is provided with an inducing panel 27 having plural holes 29 corresponding to the upper opening 23 of the refrigerator body 11 and exhaust gaps 28 on both sides of the inducing panel 27 between the inner wall of the cooling storage 25 and the air supply duct 26.

According to the above mentioned air supply duct 26, the cooling air thorough the plural holes 29 corresponding to the upper opening 23 may be partially blocked by the non-hole part of the inducing panel 27, and the cooling air detouring through the exhaust gaps 28 on both sides of the inducing panel 27 can flow downward relatively more smoothly, so that the cooling air can be uniformly distributed along the horizontal direction of the cooling storage 25, so the cooling of the food in the cooling storage 25 can be uniformly and effectively carried out, and circulation of cooling air by the natural convention can be effectively achieved without any additional circulation device.

Another embodiment of the invention will be described in referred to FIG. 6 to FIG. 9. Aa shown in FIG. 6, the heat exchange unit 13 is detachably attached on the bottom of the refrigerator body 11. For this, the refrigerator body has lower openings 30 on the bottom floor, and the evaporator box 21 has box openings 24 on the top cover 22 of it corresponding to the lower openings 30. In this case, an air supply lower opening 30 a corresponds to an air supply box opening 24 a, and an air intake lower opening 30 b corresponds to an air intake box opening 24 b.

As shown in FIG. 7 to FIG. 8, there is provided an inducing duct 31 in the cooling storage 25 of the refrigerator body 11, communicating with the lower opening 30 of the refrigerator body 11 and extending upward on the inner wall of the refrigerator body 11. The inducing duct 31 comprises of an upright duct 31 a and an upper duct 31 b horizontally extending on top of the upright duct 31 a. Plural side holes 32 are formed along both sides of the upright duct 31 a so that of cooling air can be partially exhausted, and upper exhaust holes 33 are formed on the upper duct 31 b to exhaust the remaining cooling air.

According to the above mentioned embodiment of the invention, as the cooling air can be exhausted from the upright duct 31 a on the inner wall of the refrigerator body 11 and from the horizontally extending upper duct 31 b, cooling air can be uniformly distributed into the cooling storage 25, and effective circulation of cooling air by the natural convention can be achieved by the above mentioned layout of the lower openings 30 and the box openings 24.

If the heat exchange unit 13 is mounted on the bottom of the refrigerator body 11, it is preferable that the lower openings 30 and the box openings 24 should be engaged with each other in the airtight manner, and for this, the invention preferably further includes a lifting means to lift up the evaporator box 21, which will be described below in reference with FIG. 9.

As shown in FIG. 9, the lifting means 40 comprises a lifting rod 41 provided on the base plate 18 to be disposed below the evaporator box 21. The lifting rod 41 has peak points 43 which are bent upward along the longitudinal direction of it, and a lever 43 at one end of it to be operated manually. A stopper, though not shown, can be added to keep the lifting rod 41 at the upright or tilted position. According to the above lifting means 40, the evaporator box 21 can be lifted by rotating the lifting rod 41 so that the peak point 42 should be upright or nearly upright, then evaporator box 21 is lifted to be tightly engaged with the bottom of the refrigerator body 11. Accordingly cooling air cannot be leaked from the evaporator box 21. If the lifting rod 41 is turn down by rotating the lever 34, then the evaporator box 21 can be lowered, and it can be removed to change the refrigerant. 

1. A refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit, wherein the refrigerator comprises; a refrigerator body 11 having a cooling storage 25 in which the food is cooled or frozen, and upper openings 23 or lower openings 30 on the top or bottom of it communicating with the cooling storage 25; a heat exchange unit 13 provided above or under on the upper or lower surface of the refrigerator body 11 and including a compressor 15, a condenser 16, an expansion valve, an evaporator 17 and refrigerant lines 14 connecting them to each other to circulate the refrigerant; a base plate 18 on which the heat exchange unit 13 is mounted, is detachably attached on the refrigerator body 11; and an evaporator box 21 mounted on the base plate 18 to enclose the evaporator 7 and having box openings 24 on the floor corresponding to the upper openings 23 or the lower openings 30 of the refrigerator body
 11. 2. A refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit of claim 1, wherein the refrigerator further includes an air supply duct 26 disposed horizontally along the upper corner of the cooling storage 25 and communicating with the upper openings 23 of the refrigerator body 11, and the air supply duct 26 is provided with an inducing panel 27 having plural holes 29 corresponding to the upper opening 23 and exhaust gaps 28 on both sides of the inducing panel 27 between the inner wall of the cooling storage 25 and the air supply duct
 26. 3. A refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit of claim 2, wherein the refrigerator further includes an inducing duct 31 communicating with the lower openings 30 of the refrigerator body 11 and extending upward on the inner wall of the refrigerator body 11, and the inducing duct 31 having plural side holes 32 along the side of it to exhaust a partial of the cooling air, and upper exhaust holes 33 on the upper part of the inducing duct 31 to exhaust the remaining cooling air.
 4. A refrigerator with a detachable heat exchange unit of claim 3, wherein the refrigerator further includes a lifting means 40 on the refrigerator body 11 or the base plate 18 to lift the evaporator box 21 to tightly contact the lower surface of the refrigerator body
 11. 